The 2002 EU directive, amended in 2009, that requires consent before storing or accessing information on a user's device, which is the legal source of European cookie banners. It sits alongside the GDPR and is implemented differently in each member state. A replacement ePrivacy Regulation was proposed in 2017 and withdrawn by the European Commission in 2025.
Related terms
Cite this entry:
Agency Echelon. "ePrivacy Directive." Agency Echelon Reference, reviewed September 2026. https://agencyechelon.com/reference/glossary/eprivacy-directive/